1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to compact fluorescent lamp ballast housings, and more particularly, to the type that are retrofitted to be received by double ended sockets such as those utilized for quartz halogen and metal halide lamps.
2. Description of the Related Art
Several compact fluorescent lamp ballast-housing designs have been developed in the past for replacing incandescent lamps with compact fluorescent lamps. Typically, the new sockets are made to fit existing conventional sockets for incandescent lamps. In the case of quartz halogen and metal halide lamps that utilize double-ended sockets none of the prior art designs have addressed this problem. The present invention provides a housing for a compact fluorescent lamp ballast that is volumetrically efficient while at the same time it is retrofitted or adapted to be received by double ended sockets such as those used with quartz halogen and metal halide lamps.
Quartz halogen lamps and metal halide lamps consume considerably more energy than compact fluorescent lamps. At the same time, quartz halogen and metal halide lamps operate at extremely high temperatures that have caused fires burning the fixture and even the premises. Thus the desirability of replacing them with low power consumption, low temperature, high efficiency compact fluorescent lamps is quite apparent.
It is one of the main objects of the present invention to provide a housing for compact fluorescent lamp ballast that is compatible with existing double-ended sockets used for metal halide and quartz halogen lamps.
It is another object of this invention to provide such a housing that is used to hold the energy efficient compact fluorescent lamp ballast and to hold the circular type fluorescent lamp with either multiple rings or single ring.
It is another object of this invention to provide such a housing that is volumetrically efficient.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a housing that includes a receiver actuated by a cooperating transmitter for remotely turning the ballast on and off.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide such a device that is inexpensive to manufacture and maintain while retaining its effectiveness.
It is another object of this invention to provide such a housing that is easy to be installed to replace the conventional double-ended halogen lamps and metal halide lamps with the compact fluorescent lamps.
It is another object of this invention to provide such a housing with apertures appropriately disposed to facilitate the ventilation of the ballast.
Further objects of the invention will be brought out in the following part of the specification, wherein detailed description is for the purpose of fully disclosing the invention without placing limitations thereon.